The present invention, in some embodiments thereof, relates to imaging and, more particularly, but not exclusively, to methods and systems of imaging cut stones.
Cut stones, such as diamonds, are often analyzed based upon their visual appearance to the human eye. As such, a cut stone's visual appearance is a primary indicator of the quality of the diamond. Accordingly, because diamond quality is substantially based on human visual perception, diamond analysis requires the exercise of judgment, the formation of opinions and the ability to draw fine distinctions based on visual comparisons.
With regard to diamond analysis, the foundation of diamond analysis comprises analysis of the Four C's (color, clarity, cut and carat weight), a method of analysis defined by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). Two of the Four C's, color and clarity, are evaluated along a scale or continuum. In the case of colorless to light-yellow colored diamonds, an analysis is made along what is commonly referred to as the GIA D to Z scale. The GIA D to Z color scale, ranging from colorless to yellow, is an international standard which has been calibrated to GIA's master diamonds since its development.
Usually, diamond quality analysis is performed by a team of trained individuals who visually inspect a diamond for features such as inclusions and structural flaws. This time-intensive process involves numerous inspections, measurements and checks by each individual. The process also involves quality control and may include a variety of non-destructive tests to identify treatments, fillings or other defects that may affect the quality of a specimen.
During the last years methods which involve cut stone imaging have been developed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,461,017, filed on Apr. 30, 2004 describes system and method of providing informational certificates concerning characteristics of jewelry items to customers. The system includes a terminal having a user interface configured to receive user input information concerning at least a first characteristic of a first jewelry item, a camera device capable of obtaining image information regarding at least a part of the first jewelry item, and a printing device at least temporarily coupled to the terminal and the camera device and capable of printing a first certificate, where the first certificate includes a first portion of information based upon the user input information and a second portion of information based upon the image information, and where the terminal, the camera device and the printing device are proximate a local point of sale of the first jewelry item.
Other methods and systems have been developed to improve or facilitate the diamond evaluation process, for example U.S. Pat. No. 7,136,154 filed on Jun. 9, 2003 describes a gemstone rating system which is used for rating the cut of diamonds in which particular cuts and features are measured and the results compared with and provided with a predetermined score depending upon deviations from a theoretical perfect cut; and wherein the deviation scores are summed and then subtracted from an initially perfect score to provide a universally comparable indication of quality of cut.